Being winter, most folks cant ride very often, or at all. So, what do you do? Of course theres the planning of future rides, cleaning it again and again, a few new mods, etc. But what about other hobbies? I try to some hunting when I can, deer and coyotes mostly. And then theres HAM radio. Thats really good for those cold nasty days I dont want to partake in. Unless theres an antenna issue, but thats not very often.

Hunter......I'm retired, divorced, my kids are grown up, and although I still see them quite often, they have their own lives on the go. Whatever I find to do, it's usually something I'm going to be doing on my own. I see you live in Kansas, not sure how the winter weather gets down there, or if your bike's put away for the season, but up here, in "The Great White North", it's too icy to ride.So I try to keep as busy as I can, but not outside all that much. I find that it affords me a chance to do the things, that when the weather is good, and I have lots of opportunities to be out riding, I don't necessarily make high priorities.I do a lot more work with my guitar studies. I read a lot more. I study a lot more, about almost anything that comes to mind, simply to increase my general knowledge. I spend a lot of time with my computer, surfing Wikipedia, YouTube, Google Search, Google Maps for sure, and especially, without question, staying in-touch with other potentially like-minded folks on this forum who may, or may not, be snowed in. Now and then, I just get in my car and go for a little bit of a tour out in the country, just to stay in the game. There's other things, but that's what comes to mind right now.

Oh, and I dream of spring time a lot..............................Dave

hey, dont be sorry, your not the only one. sometimes i go into my garage, pull up a chair, sit there with my coffee and smokes and just sit and stare at my 1100 and my 1200 trying to figure out how i can ride both bikes at the same time lol.

Hey Stuart,I'd like to do that, but I don't have a garage. By the way, If you do figure out how to ride them both at the same time, it would probably be a good idea not to do it on the Dragon.That might just be me though.........................................Dave

I shovel snow, look at snow, think about shoveling snow, have nightmares about snow and shoveling snow, watch it snow, sweep snow off the cars, fix things that break from too much snow, and then I get to repeat endlessly till winter comes to an end. Then I get to do it all over again. And in my few spare moments from dealing with snow, I read GoldwingDocs and sometimes add to it. Oh, and the other day, I hooked up the battery tender on my bike, left it three days and unplugged it again. That keeps this motorcycle related.

Winters are a nice break to catch up on maintenance on my bike. Or to add something. Its also the time for closeout deals on gear. So I try to pick out some worthwhile buys. Visit some forums and watch some youtube. Last year I started riding early in the season but then had some brake issues. Also I missed a few local events that I wished I known about. So I been looking around a little online. Also been looking to add another bike to the stable but havent seen anything that grabs me yet. It may have to wait until spring.

Solina Dave wrote:Hey Stuart,I'd like to do that, but I don't have a garage. By the way, If you do figure out how to ride them both at the same time, it would probably be a good idea not to do it on the Dragon.That might just be me though.........................................Dave

the only way i can ride them both at the same time is to rig them up side by side, connect both so that they steer and brake in synch at the same time.

themainviking wrote:I shovel snow, look at snow, think about shoveling snow, have nightmares about snow and shoveling snow, watch it snow, sweep snow off the cars, fix things that break from too much snow, and then I get to repeat endlessly till winter comes to an end. Then I get to do it all over again. And in my few spare moments from dealing with snow, I read GoldwingDocs and sometimes add to it. Oh, and the other day, I hooked up the battery tender on my bike, left it three days and unplugged it again. That keeps this motorcycle related.

no, no more snow for me. i had enough of that when i lived up north in the nj, ny area. i think i'll to out to the garage and sit in between the both of them for a while and figure out something to do to them next.

Actually surf the net a bit, I've had the current wing for a year and it is time to do the tlc/maintenance on it. When the weather is moderate I am in the process of building a trike. Cold here in Wisconsin so the wing is in a heated shop and can tinker with it whenever I want, the other shop has a furnace in it but is only heated when needed.Also like artwork, I'm a retired Airbrush artist however I still like to be creative on occasion.

your lucky, i have no heat in my garage. i would have to frame in the walls with 2 x 4's, put in insulation rolls and put up sheetrock or plywood then do the ceiling. the only heat i have inside is if i fire up the BBQ grill and use that for heat . hey, , i could work on the bikes and cook my lunch at the same time lol. just think, " t-bone" steak and bikes, perfect combination lol.

I watch it snow. I pretend it's not snowing, I shovel out the snow blower. I use the snow blower and do all the driveways in my neighbourhood. The city likes to plow up big berms in front of every bodies driveway. My neighbours bring me cookies and muffins in thanks, life is good. The snowblower needed some work so I hopped it up a little. Bend bend, weld weld and a little tinkering here and there and it throws snow twice as far as before and the tire chains seem to keep it moving forward better.

On the motorcycle front I have been slowly rebuilding the 1500 after the deer strike that exploded my fairing. Money has been tight so I had to take last riding season off. That's not going to happen in 2016.The deer destroyed the left side of the fairing, I ordered a used fairing from one of the local wrecking yards. When I started sanding down the new fairing I found that it had damage to the right side, a little too much damage to repair. So here I sit with two damaged fairings and then the light in my head comes on.OK its only a 40watt bulb but I think this will work. I carefully cut fairing "A" down the centre from top to bottom carefully taking note of any landmarks in the plastic . I then make the same cut in fairing "B". Now I have two completely destroyed fairings. I used the left half of the new fairing and the right half of the old fairing and a few syringes full of ABS glue to attach both halves together. See

You can just see the glueline

I also did the same treatment to the front fender that was in three pieces. The red is a bit of body putty to fill in the slight depression in the glue line. The underside shows the unsanded glueline

Front fender repairs

Underside of front fender

I am really pleased with the results of these repairs. A little filler primer, new paint and a lot of reassembly and I will be back on the road again this spring. This is keeping me busy through the snowy season.

I think im depressed from all the mention of all the snow. Dont get me wrong, I love the snow. It looks so nice in the movies! Every year, I like the snow and cold even less. If it wasnt for hinting, I'd have no use for it.

Finished off our deer season today so its time to switch to coyotes.

In a few weeks, a buddy and I are going to dig out his dad's old '83 Yamaha Venture Royale and start the resurection process. Its been sitting for several years but we should have it going by riding season.

I like your ABS reconstructive work. When working with cracks like that, I will normally wait until the original repair has cured, then I will take patches of ABS - not thick, maybe 1mm - cut and heat/form to fit, then glue them in place over top of the crack on the back side, where they can't be seen. It adds considerable strength to the original repair.

Work on the wing when it's not too cold in the garage (detached, unheated). Reload as much ammo as I can over the winter....I shoot IDPA pistol matches and go through about 300---500 rounds a month, depending how many matches I can manage to attend. ....and sit in the cave surfing the net, smoking cigars and having a little taste of the spirits.

WingAdmin wrote:I like your ABS reconstructive work. When working with cracks like that, I will normally wait until the original repair has cured, then I will take patches of ABS - not thick, maybe 1mm - cut and heat/form to fit, then glue them in place over top of the crack on the back side, where they can't be seen. It adds considerable strength to the original repair.

The "cracks" in my abs repairs are opened up to at least 1/8 inch wide, backed by tin foil tape to keep the abs glue in place and hold the pieces in alignment while the glue cures. I usually glue up 2 inch sections at a time, kinda like stitch welding every couple of inches. Once I am happy that everything is aligned properly and the first round of glue is hard I go back and fill in the missing bits of the seam. I set a fan to blow across the part and wait a couple of weeks before sanding with 180/220 on a random orbital sander. If it needs more glue to fill the crack some more so be it. Two weeks later I sand again. I made the mistake once and rushed into painting instead of waiting a couple of weeks and you could see the self line after a couple of weeks through the paint. The glue line continued to shrink as it finished fully curing pulling the paint down with it. Maybe I should start a new thread on this repair...... Ya that's what I will do.

RoadRogue wrote:I watch it snow. I pretend it's not snowing, I shovel out the snow blower. I use the snow blower and do all the driveways in my neighbourhood. The city likes to plow up big berms in front of every bodies driveway. My neighbours bring me cookies and muffins in thanks, life is good. The snowblower needed some work so I hopped it up a little. Bend bend, weld weld and a little tinkering here and there and it throws snow twice as far as before and the tire chains seem to keep it moving forward better.

On the motorcycle front I have been slowly rebuilding the 1500 after the deer strike that exploded my fairing. Money has been tight so I had to take last riding season off. That's not going to happen in 2016.The deer destroyed the left side of the fairing, I ordered a used fairing from one of the local wrecking yards. When I started sanding down the new fairing I found that it had damage to the right side, a little too much damage to repair. So here I sit with two damaged fairings and then the light in my head comes on.OK its only a 40watt bulb but I think this will work. I carefully cut fairing "A" down the centre from top to bottom carefully taking note of any landmarks in the plastic . I then make the same cut in fairing "B". Now I have two completely destroyed fairings. I used the left half of the new fairing and the right half of the old fairing and a few syringes full of ABS glue to attach both halves together. See

IMG_20151212_173138.jpg

IMG_20151212_173156.jpg

I also did the same treatment to the front fender that was in three pieces. The red is a bit of body putty to fill in the slight depression in the glue line. The underside shows the unsanded glueline

IMG_20151212_172918.jpg

IMG_20151212_172942.jpg

I am really pleased with the results of these repairs. A little filler primer, new paint and a lot of reassembly and I will be back on the road again this spring. This is keeping me busy through the snowy season.

Sorry to hear about your bike. Like the way the repairs are. When its all done will you do a color change to the bike?

During what we call Monsoon season ; there are , maybe , three or four days I can't ride due to high winds , Haboobs (Dust-storms) and heavy rain , but the rest of the time is "Ridin-time" if you can handle the heat . Free time is devoted to re-loading for my Glock 22 , .40 cal , 9mm , and custom-built Mosin-Nagant "F"-Class rifle . I teach tactical handgun classes , and Long Range shooting for the "grins" to those who wish to learn those type shooting skills . I am in the process of collecting parts and pieces to build another Nagant action / Kreiger 5r barreled .308 , equipped with a Vortex HST . Also for NRA "F"-Class .

Snow ? Oh ; you mean that white stuff that's cold to touch and slippery to ride on ...I can see some on the mountains if I look north towards Flagstaff . But I am going to get wet next week , as I'm headed to the "Wall" for my thirteenth and last run there . I go a week early to be there on the 21st , as that's the day my twin was KIA , in the Nam . Just hate ridin thru the "slot" from Okla. City to Joplin caused I have survived a couple of tornadoes , and don't care for them at all.

Grindl wrote:During what we call Monsoon season ; there are , maybe , three or four days I can't ride due to high winds , Haboobs (Dust-storms) and heavy rain , but the rest of the time is "Ridin-time" if you can handle the heat . Free time is devoted to re-loading for my Glock 22 , .40 cal , 9mm , and custom-built Mosin-Nagant "F"-Class rifle . I teach tactical handgun classes , and Long Range shooting for the "grins" to those who wish to learn those type shooting skills . I am in the process of collecting parts and pieces to build another Nagant action / Kreiger 5r barreled .308 , equipped with a Vortex HST . Also for NRA "F"-Class .

Snow ? Oh ; you mean that white stuff that's cold to touch and slippery to ride on ...I can see some on the mountains if I look north towards Flagstaff . But I am going to get wet next week , as I'm headed to the "Wall" for my thirteenth and last run there . I go a week early to be there on the 21st , as that's the day my twin was KIA , in the Nam . Just hate ridin thru the "slot" from Okla. City to Joplin caused I have survived a couple of tornadoes , and don't care for them at all.

I'd love to make that ride with you. Too bad life gets in the way of doing things sometime. Hope you have a safe trip.I took my first 1 mile shots this weekend. Made a few hits, several misses. I dont care who ya are, thats a LONG ways. Still working on the load for the 300RUM, but it was doing it. The 338 Lapua was doing it better tho.

Would have liked to have you along . Fought with the elements both ways . Almost funny in retrospect . My first ride to the Wall was tough cause I didn't know if I was ready to face all that "stuff" again , and the weather was miserable . But I made the decision to go , and that was it . This was my last ride to the Wall ; and I was turning a page in my life , and closing the "Book". And the weather was absolutely MISERABLE again . Thirteen and done . I've Honored , and respected all my Brothers , and I'm at peace with Me about it .

Think you'll find the .338 to be more consistent , and more accurate . Personally , I always thought the 300rum was a bit over-rated , but hey , just another opinion . A good .338 with a "tuned" load is a deadly piece of equipment in the right hands at a mile . Hope you've got a Kestrel , and some S.W.A.G . L.M.A.O...... L/R is part skill , part science & part VooDoo.